HOUSE BILL No. 4784

 

April 2, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Mayes and Moore and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 

     A bill to amend 2004 PA 403, entitled

 

"Michigan unarmed combat regulatory act,"

 

by amending section 50 (MCL 338.3650).

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 50. (1) Boxing elimination contests in which all of the

 

following apply are exempt from this act:

 

     (a) The contestants compete for prizes only in elimination

 

contests and are not also professional boxers competing in 4 or

 

more rounds of nonelimination boxing.

 

     (b) Each bout is scheduled to consist of 3 or fewer 1-minute

 

rounds, with contests conducted on no more than 2 consecutive

 

calendar days.

 

     (c) Competing contestants are prohibited from boxing for more

 

than 12 minutes on each contest day.

 


     (d) The contestants participating in the elimination contest

 

are insured by the promoter for all medical and hospital expenses

 

in the amount of not less than $50,000.00 to be paid to the

 

contestants to cover injuries sustained in the contest and are

 

insured for not less than $50,000.00 to be paid in accordance with

 

the statutes of descent and distribution of personal property if

 

the contestant should die as a result of injuries sustained in the

 

contest.

 

     (e) A physician is in attendance at ringside and the physician

 

has authority to stop the contest for medical reasons.

 

     (f) All contestants pass a physical examination given by a

 

physician, a licensed physician's assistant, or a certified nurse

 

practitioner before the contest.

 

     (g) A preliminary breath test is administered to each

 

contestant which indicates a blood alcohol content of .02% or less.

 

     (h) The promoter conducts the elimination contest in

 

compliance with the following:

 

     (i) A contestant who has lost by a technical knockout is not

 

permitted to compete again for a period of 30 calendar days or

 

until the contestant has submitted to the promoter the results of a

 

physical examination equivalent to that required of professional

 

boxers.

 

     (ii) The ringside physician examines a contestant who has been

 

knocked out in an elimination contest or whose fight has been

 

stopped by the referee because he or she received hard blows to the

 

head that made him or her defenseless or incapable of continuing

 

immediately after the knockout or stoppage. The ringside physician

 


may recommend post-fight neurological examinations, which may

 

include computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans or magnetic

 

resonance imaging (MRI), to be performed on the contestant

 

immediately after the contestant leaves the location of the

 

contest. The promoter shall not permit the contestant to compete

 

until a physician has certified that the contestant is fit to

 

compete. If the physician recommended further neurological

 

examinations, the promoter shall not permit the contestant to

 

compete until the promoter receives copies of examination reports

 

demonstrating that the contestant is fit to compete.

 

     (iii) The promoter requires that a contestant who has sustained

 

a severe injury or knockout in an elimination contest be examined

 

by a physician. The promoter shall not permit the contestant to

 

compete until the physician has certified that the contestant has

 

fully recovered.

 

     (iv) The promoter does not permit a contestant to compete in an

 

elimination contest for a period of not less than 60 days if he or

 

she has been knocked out or has received excessive hard blows to

 

the head that required the fight to be stopped.

 

     (v) A contestant who has been knocked out twice in a period of

 

3 months or who has had excessive head blows causing a fight to be

 

stopped is not permitted by a promoter to participate in an

 

elimination contest for a period of not less than 120 days from the

 

second knockout or stoppage.

 

     (vi) A contestant who has been knocked out or had excessive

 

hard blows to the head causing a fight to be stopped 3 times

 

consecutively in a period of 12 months is not permitted by a

 


promoter to participate in an elimination contest for a period of 1

 

year from the third knockout.

 

     (vii) Before resuming competition after any of the periods of

 

rest prescribed in subparagraphs (iv), (v), and (vi), a promoter

 

requires the contestant to produce a certification by a physician

 

stating that the contestant is fit to take part in an elimination

 

contest.

 

     (2) As part of the physical examination given before the

 

boxing elimination contest, the physician, licensed physician's

 

assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or other trained person

 

shall administer a preliminary breath test in compliance with

 

standards imposed in rules promulgated by the department of state

 

police regarding equipment calibration and methods of

 

administration. The promoter shall keep a log of preliminary breath

 

test results of contestants on file at its place of business for at

 

least 3 years after the date of administration of the test. These

 

results shall be made available to law enforcement officials upon

 

request.